A deep freeze settles in across country

Environment Canada issued a slew of extreme cold warnings across the country on Tuesday.

Environment Canada says it issues extreme cold warnings when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.

The agency is asking people to watch for symptoms related to the cold, including shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and a change in the colour of the fingers and toes.

In British Columbia, the agency warned that the Yoho Park and Kootenay Park region could see wind chills as low as -40 C due to a cold arctic ridge of high pressure that it predicts will remain over the region for several days.